Steam Bath in an Igloo!

‘Almost every dwelling had its bath-house, a little hemispherical building shaped rather like an igloo with a low doorway. (Written/compiled by Ian Mursell/Mexicolore)

Graciela about to enjoy a traditional ‘temazcal’, near Oaxaca (Click on image to enlarge)

‘Against it was constructed a fire-place, and the blaze warmed the adjacent wall of the bath-house until it glowed red-hot. At this stage, the bather crept into the house and threw water onto the hot wall until the interior was filled with steam. To increase the flow of perspiration and to gain full benefit from the treatment, the bather switched himself with twigs or bundles of grass... Both men and women used the steam baths, not only for ritual purifications and the treatment of certain diseases but as a normal part of everyday hygiene’.

(Image [top R] from the Codex Magliabecchiano, info from "Everyday Life of the Aztecs" by Warwick Bray)

Codex Tudela, folio 62r (Click on image to enlarge)

According to Timothy Knab (‘A Scattering of Jades’) the temazcalli was ‘an architectural personification of the warm, moist womb of the mother goddess’. Experts believe that the union of fire and water (two sacred elements) produced steam - ‘apoctli’ in Náhuatl - which symbolised the life-giving (and renewing) powers of a mother’s womb...

Looking rather steamy in the entrance to the temazcalli is the face of the Aztec goddess Tlazoltéotl, ‘Eater of dirty things’, deity of passion, lust and, for want of a better expression, ‘naughtiness...’ All brides-to-be and mothers who had just given birth were expected to go for a thorough cleansing of the body and spirit inside the temazcalli.

2 At 6.43pm on Friday December 23 2016, Chico@wildplaces.net wrote:

Greetings, we built a Temazcalli in Central Ca USA where summer is intense heat.Due that USA does not allow clay bricks from México we ended up using bricks and cement and covered our igloo style Temazcalli with adobe wall made with clay , horse manure and water.Our temazcal has resisted heavy rain and keeps temperatures nice and cozy inside. Our roof is covered with petates from Mexico.Look us up in FB Xico Xavier Garza

Mexicolore replies: Congratulations! Thanks for sharing...

1 At 9.42am on Sunday May 22 2011, otirudam wrote:

does anybody know what type of wall could stand the heat of a fire-place, and not crack? I want to build a Temazcal at home, and i heard a cement wall will crack with the heat.